Here's Why You Should Always Pick Inhalers Over Oral Medication

Did you know that inhalers have proven to be a better treatment option as compared to oral medication? From the delivery method to the intensity of the dose, inhalation therapy has proven to be far superior when treating asthma. 

Asthma is a condition of the lungs that usually leads to a difficulty in breathing in the affected individuals. Asthmatics have hypersensitive airways which are obstructed by inflammatory mediators in response to allergic triggers present in the environment, thus, making it difficult for air to move in and out of the lungs. It is usually accompanied by a mixture of symptoms like breathlessness, wheezing, coughing and tightness in the chest. 

While the condition is chronic and cannot be cured, with regular treatment, the condition can be managed and an asthmatic can lead a normal life. 

A few of the benefits of inhalers and inhalation therapy are as follows: 

1) They Directly Act On The Lungs 

When you burn yourself, do you usually apply a soothing ointment to the burn or do you take a tablet in the hope that the burn will eventually heal? In the same way, as asthma is a condition of the lungs, it is always more appropriate to use the treatment method that directly affects the organ. As inhalation therapy involves inhaling the medication directly, it proves superior to oral therapy which works by first getting absorbed by the blood. 

2) They Have A Smaller Dose Of Medication When Compared To Oral Tablets

The strength of the inhaler is a myth. However, contrary to this belief, the dose of medication taken when using an inhaler is actually much smaller than the dose of oral tablets. If you want to know more about the myths that surround inhalation therapy, click here. 

3) The Chances Of You Experiencing Side Effects Are Smaller

As mentioned above, a smaller dose of medication is taken when using inhalers as compared to when you use oral medication. Due to the difference in the dose of medication taken (milligrams versus micrograms), the probability of you experiencing side effects from the use of inhalation therapy is less when compared to the probability if you experiencing side effects from the use of oral tablets.

4) The Relief Is Quicker 

As mentioned before, unlike oral medication which first needs to be absorbed by the blood, inhalation therapy directly targets the site of disease that is, the lungs. This provides for quicker relief of the symptoms. 

To promote awareness about the benefits of inhalers and inhalation therapy, we teamed up with Barkha Dutt who hosted a Facebook Live Interview discussing the same. You can watch the entire interview here or read a write up of the interview here. 

With the second leg of #BerokZindagi being kicked off, we aim to spread awareness about our core message - "Asthma Ke Liye, Inhalers Hain Sahi". In order to do this, we recently launched a digital film which you can watch here and a television commercial which you can watch here. Both of these highlight the stigma attached to inhalers and bust the myths related to their use. 

To help asthmatics in India, we have created a Breathefree helpline - 9873 33 55 77. You can use this helpline to locate a nearby doctor or book an appointment.